This time of year, I’ll do almost anything to ward off cabin fever and I’m always anxious to get out in the woods and scour the ground for shed antlers.  I’m certainly no expert, but I usually manage to find a few every spring.  Plus, it gives me a great opportunity to scout for turkeys and check out some of the bedding areas and big buck sanctuaries that I try to avoid during the fall.

The first places I usually check out are where the deer have been doing most of their feeding.  Sometimes these spots are very different from the food sources they rely on during the fall.  However this winter, it seemed like the deer in my area were still hitting the oaks in search of the acorns buried under the snow.  And once all of that snow melted, I hoped that a few of those ivory antler tips would be easy to spot!

My first shed of the year!

I keep a close eye on my trail cameras to see when the majority of bucks have lost their antlers.  This year, it seemed like plently of bucks were still carrying their racks in early March.  Still, there were a few hot spots I couldn’t resist checking out, and I got lucky on one of my early outtings.  I found my first shed of the year in a stand of pines that is bordered by plenty of oak trees.

Knowing that bucks sometimes shed both of their antlers in the same spot, I spent extra time looking around the location of my lucky find.  At first, I didn’t think the matching antler was nearby, but then something white caught my eye.  It was the base of a small piece of antler that had been broken off sometime the previous year.

The small antler piece just as I found it

I was almost in shock when I realized just how small the broken antler was!  There was probably no way I ever would have found it if it had not been lying near the first anlter.  It was a milestone in my shed hunting career, because not only had I found two antlers in one evening, but I found a matching set!

Anyone can find the big ones, right?!

Some of you might be a little skeptical as to whether the two antlers actually came from the same buck.  I was too, but sorting through some old trail camera photos eliminated any doubt in my mind.  This buck was definitely a regular in my area and I’m looking forward to seeing what kind of rack he grows this year.

Hiking around the forest in the springtime is always a great experience and I love carrying my camera along and capturing some of the unique sights I usually see.  Searching for sheds requires a pace quite a bit slower than my usual speed, so sometimes I notice things that I would probably otherwise pass by.

Streamside skunk cabbage sprouts

I don’t know much about fungi, maybe someone can tell me what type it is?

This old deer skull was not the kind of bone I was looking for!

Part of the purpose for my spring wanderings is to keep track of the local flocks of turkeys in anticipation of gobbler season.  Warm sunny mornings seem to be the best for hearing gobbles and we’ve been fortunate to have several of them this month.  I never like to get too close to the birds for fear of pressuring them prior to my hunts, and I never do any calling before season.  However on my last scouting trip, a little luck and a big camera lens allowed me to capture a couple photos of some local toms who were putting on quite a show!

I love to see those big flocks of early strutters!

There are a few youngsters in the neighborhood who will be experiencing their first turkey hunts this spring.  I can’t wait to tag along and see if we can call a few of those wily old birds into range!  Good luck to everyone with your springtime scouting.  Stay Wired!

Since we got back from our Quebec caribou excursion at Wedge Hills Lodge, things have been pretty hectic with the start of archery season quickly approaching.  But before I officially switch into whitetail mode for the next six weeks, I wanted to take a little time to reflect on our trip up north and show everyone a few of my favorite photos.

The view inside the Havilland DHC-2 Beaver that we took to camp.

The extreme remoteness of Wedge Hills Lodge made just getting to camp an adventure!  Our journey required a 22-hour ride in the truck, a 12-hour train ride, a 2 hour bush plane flight, and even a ride on a ferry across the St. Lawrence River.  I’d have to say that the bush plane was definitely my favorite of the four though.  The views were incredible as we skimmed across the hilltops and huge expanse of lakes and tundra!

Wedge Hills Lodge sits on the banks of the George River. брат трахает брата

Caribou hunting in Quebec depends largely on locating migrating herds, and after our arrival, we wasted no time in getting out on the river to see if we could find some animals.  The George River is a very large and swift river, and our guide Joe was an expert at maneuvering through the treacherous rapids.

Our first couple of days yielded a sighting of a huge black bear, but no caribou.  The weather was fairly warm and the black flies were tenacious!  We spent some time exploring the mountains surrounding the river, knowing that migrating herds could show up any day.

A ThermaCELL and a headnet were the best ways to keep the black flies at bay.

Rob McCoy leans into the stiff wind on the top of the mountain.

On the third morning, we were greeted with very cold temperatures and an eerie fog that had settled into the river valley.  We all hoped that the turn in weather would have the caribou on the move and produce a turn in our luck as well.  If nothing else, we knew the morning’s frost should have killed the majority of black flies, and that alone was enough to lift our spirits.

As we motored up the river, several gray figures were spotted moving on the mountain side and then large antlers flashed through the thick alders on the river bank.  We excitedly beached the canoe and set out to see if we could get a shot at the startled bulls.   We knew the archery gear would have been futile for this situation, so the rifle was the only weapon on this stalk.  After a series of short sprints over the boulder-strewn tundra, a shot presented itself, and I downed the first caribou of the trip.  The Wired Crew was on the board and we were all ecstatic!

After a few photos, Joe showed us the best way to quarter the caribou and prepare the meat for the pack out to the canoe.  And with more herds in the area, we made short work of the butchering and got back to hunting!

Climbing the adjacent mountain gave us a great vantage point, and we soon located a group of three large bulls slowly feeding toward a creek below.  One was a massive white bull with wide, sweeping antlers and we all agreed that he was the one to go after.

A short time later, we were perched on the crest of the mountain as those same wide antlers slowly bobbed toward us and the rest is history!  Jason sealed the deal on a monster caribou and Rob shot a great bull immediately after him.  The footage is tremendous and you won’t want to miss it when this episode airs in late October!

It was a fantastic feeling to have all shot bulls in the same day, and as we packed the two big bulls off of the mountain, we retold the stories of the hunts and recounted how incredible the day had been.  We reached the canoe completely exhausted, and were really looking forward to the ride back to camp.

Jason takes a load off!

Happiness is a boat-load of antlers!

After such a successful trip to a stunningly beautiful place, I can’t help but feel extremely blessed to have been given the opportunity to be a part of it.  It’s not the boxes full of meat or the antlers we brought home that make me feel that way either.  It’s the countless memories we made and the time I was able to share with a couple of great friends and members of the Wired Team…and that’s what getting ‘Wired’ is all about!  I’d like to send a huge thank you out to all of our fans, friends, and supporters!  Good luck during the upcoming archery season!

The event is held at Camp Coffman near Kossuth, PA and is offered free of charge to all participants.  Parents must pre-register their children, who must be 8-14 years old.  This year, 410 youngsters were in attendance, which was a new record for the event.  With all of the parents, volunteers, instructors and sponsors, the camp was a bustling place filled with energy and excitement.  You truly have to experience it to believe it!

Kirk Byerley and Andy Traister were on hand to help capture the day’s events on video.

Like last year, the Sportsmen Portal staff was on hand to help out and cover the day’s events for the CCSY.  Once again, we’ll be producing a highlight video to be shown at the CCSY’s annual banquet this Fall.  You won’t want to miss it!  If you haven’t seen last year’s video, check it out HERE.

The archery station is always one of the kids’ favorites.

I know our Wired Outdoors camera guys were thrilled to be there and the kids kept them busy all day long!  It was great to see some familiar faces in the crowd too, and we had the pleasure of spending some time with last year’s Hunt of a Lifetime recipient, Arianna Evans and her family.  She always brings a smile to our faces and she certainly doesn’t cut our guys any slack.  As soon as he arrived, she started heckling Jason about his “hunting sandals”.  We wouldn’t have it any other way!

The Wired Outdoors Crew also got to spend some time with Arianna Evans and her family.

Muzzleloader instructors were even dressed in traditional garb this year!

Janice Byerley models a coonskin cap at the trapping station.

As always, the youngsters were treated to a variety of stations that introduced them to numerous outdoor activities and shooting sports.  This year’s stations included trout fishing, canoeing, shotguns, muzzleloaders, .22 rifles, turkey calling, taxidermy, trapping, wild game tasting, archery, treestand safety, crossbows, camping & Boy Scout programs, an obstacle course/fun run, and drug prevention and awareness.

Turkey calling…by far the the loudest station of the day!

As the crossbow debate rages on in PA , the kids just had a great time shooting them!

Like in past years, the CCSY staff had a tremendous amount of prizes to give to the kids at the end of the day.  Lucky participants went home with one of 100 Benelli or Rossi shotguns, dozens of  Hoyt bows and Horton crossbows, 3 Marlin .22 rifles, bow cases, and bicycles.  Those not luckily enough to win a major prize received a shooters safety kit complete with shooting glasses and ear muffs.

The crowd anxiously awaits for raffle and door prize winners to be announced.

The Wired Outdoors crew was so impressed with Youth Field Day that we wanted to incorporate all of the kids into our upcoming television episodes.  That prompted the idea to somehow video all 410 of them shouting, “We are Wired Outdoors!”  As the parents can undertand, keeping their attention and the whole group organized was no small task!

Rob McCoy prepares for the big “Wired” shot at the end of the day.

With some help of the CCSY staff and lots of volunteers, we finally got the crowd of youngsters assembled in front of the cameras.  And at the count of “1…2…3″, a booming “We are Wired Outdoors!” echoed through the valley.  The video shots were excellent and will be featured every week during the introduction to each of our television episodes.  Wired Outdoors will begin airing on September 29th on the Sportsmen Channel, which is earlier than the original October date.  You won’t want to miss it!

Over 400 local youngsters will be part of every Wired Outdoors episode this Fall!

Our guys were definitely all ‘Wired’ for Youth Field Day!

A tremendous amount of work and funding is needed to hold such a fantastic event and this year’s sponsors are listed below.  Please support these businesses and individuals, as they’ve made a commitment to promoting and ensuring that our outdoor heritage is preserved for generations to come.

CORPORATE SPONSORS

CLARION CO. ROD & GUN CLUB
ROCKY MOUNTAIN ELK FOUNDATION
SWARTFAGER WELDING
SPORTSMEN OUFITTERS
TOM’S SALES & SERVICE
CLARION BOARDS INC.
HORTON CROSSBOWS
M & S MEATS
SUMMIT TREESTANDS
HOYT
QUAKER BOY GAME CALLS
FEDERAL AMMUNITION
BENELLI USA
RADIANS INC.
ROSSI FIREARMS
WAL-MART – CLARION, PA
PA GAME COMMISSION
PA FISH & BOAT COMMISSION
RUFFED GROUSE SOCIETY – ALLEGHENY NORTHWOODS CHAPTER

SUPPORTING SPONSORS

JOY MINING MACHINERY
DONNA OBERLANDER
FARMERS NATIONAL BANK
CHARLES TOOL & SUPPLY
KNOX BAKERY
HEETER ENTERPRISES INC.
R. C. BEST TRAPS ECT.
TOM’S RIVERSIDE – KNOX, PA
KAHLE’S KITCHENS
HEARTBREAK HOTEL HUNTING CLUB
IDA’S WHOLESALE
PIONEER ELECTRIC
P.S.C.O.A. LOCAL SCI FOREST
WEAVER EXCAVATING
KNOX AMBULANCE
MILLER’S SPORTING GOODS
PA GUN OWNERS
DARYL RAYBUCK MEMORIAL
SUZAN HAHNFELDT
LIONS CLUB OF HAWTHORN
THE ANTLER CLUB
SHREFFLERS SNACK SHACK
PINE HOLLOW ROD & GUN CLUB
HAWTHORN ROD & GUN CLUB
JAY D. STEVENS, MD
OCH’S BUILDING SUPPLY INC.
ASHLAND TOWNSHIP
WENNER’S TAXIDERMY
EMLENTON IGA
K-MART – FRANKLIN, PA
O’NEIL SERVICE
RITNER POOLS & SPAS
THE CARRIAGE INN
KNOX FIRE POLICE
JOHN L. CRAWFORD INC.
LOYAL ORDER OF THE MOOSE NO. 1
PA STATE CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS ASSC.
TIM SCHILL
RUPERT FUNERAL HOMES & MONUMENTS
GARY WEAVER & WORK CREW
HIRSCH MEATS
BUCKTAILS OF BEAVER TWP.
SLIGO SPORTSMEN & ARCHERY CLUB

Each Fall, the Clarion County Sportsmen for Youth holds a fundraising banquet and this year, the event is scheduled for Saturday, November  21st at Traditions Banquet Hall near Clarion, PA.  This is a fantastic cause and a great banquet and members of the Wired Outdoors staff will be there to show the new highlight video of this year’s event.  If you’d like to attend the banquet or sponsor the 2010 Youth Field Day, contact Randy Culberson at Sportsmen Oufitters in Knox, PA at 814-797-5253.

Although a bow is my preferred weapon of choice for most of my hunting excursions, I’ve always had a love for accurate rifles and long-range shooting. I own a couple of deer and elk rifles that I consider to be fairly accurate by most hunters’ standards, but I’ve never had a rifle that was capable of producing the groups required by hardcore varmint hunters who consistently take shots at over 400 yards. But all that was about to change after a visit to East Coast Gun Sales earlier this summer.

CHECK OUT THE VIDEO BELOW FROM OUR HUNT!

I knew I wanted a rifle primarily for groundhog hunting, but also capable of taking coyotes, so before I made the trip to East Coast, I spent a lot of time researching different calibers. After a lot of reading and some talks with some experienced varmint hunters, I had pretty much settled on a .22-250 for the low recoil, flat trajectory, and superior accuracy with a wide range of different loads. My conversation with the staff at East Coast confirmed these facts and after some time examining several different models, I left that day with a new Remington 700 VS SF II and a few accessories guaranteed to help me drive tacks.

The new .22-250 during its first trip to the range.

I could hardly wait to get back home and head to the range to sight it in. After a few rounds at the 100-yard target, a couple of the bullets appeared to miss the paper until I realized that they’d found the same hole as earlier shots. Yes, this rifle was something special! Some fine-tuning at the reloading bench produced even more impressive results, and after a session at my neighbor’s 300-yard range, I was confident that I could kill a whistlepig at that distance.

John glasses the field, looking for grass grizzlies.

Fortunately, not long after getting my rifle sighted in, Jason and I received an invitation from John and Chris O’Hara to come and hunt groundhogs near John’s home in central PA. John works for Summit Treestands and his son Chris is the Event Director for the Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show held in Harrisburg, PA every year. After hearing that John and Chris were die-hard varmint hunters with many years of experience under their belts, I was excited to hunt with them and learn as much as I could.

Taking aim while Chris and John watch for the impact.

Jason and I met John and Chris on a Friday after work with plans of hunting that night and again the following morning. The weather was perfect with lots of sunshine and light winds. We were soon perched on top of a knoll overlooking several hundred acres of rolling hayfields interspersed with strips of corn. The plan was to sit for a while and see if we could catch any woodchucks feeding in the freshly cut hayfield.

My first whistlepig with my new rifle from East Coast.

At first, the action was slow. But after about 20 minutes, a cautious grass grizzly emerged from the woodline and slowly entered the field. Without a rangefinder, our group decided the shot would be roughly 200 yards. John took careful aim and sent a 55-grain Nosler Ballistic Tip through the varmint’s chest. We all congratulated him on a nice shot and were happy to be on the board.

John takes careful aim at a distant hog.

A short time later, another whistlepig appeared at the end of the long field. This time, it was my turn and the distance to the hog was slightly over 300 yards. I was hoping my first shot of the evening would be a little shorter, but I wasn’t about to pass up a good opportunity to test the new rifle. When I squeezed the trigger, a puff of smoke flew from the top of the marmot’s head and he dropped in his tracks. The other guys whooped and hollered and I breathed a sigh of relief, happy that the gun performed so well and relieved that I hadn’t botched the shot. Not that I wasn’t confident, mind you, but it’s not often that I shoot at that distance!

Chris with a nice hog he took after a well-planned stalk.

The rest of the evening, we took turns shooting as more chucks emerged from their holes. It sounds funny to say, but the O’Haras take an approach to varmint hunting that would probably be characterized as “run and gun” by most hunters. We moved from one spot to the next, glassing the known hole locations and moving on if no hogs were visible.  The tactic proved to be very effective!

John gets in position for a 450+ yard shot.

The action was steady and we harvested hogs from a variety of locations. John was the MVP of the night, notching kills both off-hand and at distances over 450 yards. We all had an absolute blast (pun shamelessly intended)! As the sun began to sink below the rolling hills, we had taken 13 whistlepigs and were all excited to find out what the next day would bring.

The makings of the infamous “double”, two hogs with one shot!

Saturday morning came with the threat of thunderstorms as day progressed, so we grabbed some quick breakfast and headed for another one of John’s hot spots.  Storm clouds loomed in the distance, but we got set up overlooking a likely spot and hoped to get a few shots in before the rain started.  As we glassed the fields below, I heard John say, “There’s one! No, there’s two!”

My face was priceless after taking both chucks off the bale!

John later told me that the chance to take a “double” usually occurs about once a year for a die-hard varminter.  And John would certainly know, after averaging between 500 and 700 groundhogs a summer!  Being the excellent hosts that they are, both John and Chris wanted me to have the chance to take the shot.  We didn’t have time to argue, so I quickly found the hogs in the crosshairs.  As the .22-250 barked, both marmots tumbled off of the back of the hay bale.  I was ecstatic to say the least!  And that’s when the effects of Groundhog Fever set in…I shook and laughed and bawled all at the same time!  Well, maybe it wasn’t quite that bad, but I was pretty wound up!

Whistlepigs beware, we’re coming to a field near you!

I can’t thank John and Chris enough for the invitation to hunt with them and showing us how the pros kill hogs.  Well, maybe there’s no such thing as varmint professionals, but if there were, these guys would be it!  I learned more about long-range shooting in those two days than I probably could have in two years on my own.  On the way home, I was actually taking notes and trying to remember all of the tips I’d received over the weekend.  No kidding!

I can tell you that if you’ve never given varmint hunting a try, you owe it to yourself to set aside some time this summer.  It had been quite a while since I’d set my sights on a whistlepig, and I honestly forgot how much fun it is!  Plus, it’s a great opportunity to introduce youngsters to hunting while the weather’s warm and sitting motionless for hours isn’t a requirement.  And like John told me, he rarely meets farmers who aren’t accomodating and happy to rid their fields of the burrowing pests.  Give varmint hunting a try this summer, you’ll be glad you did!

This winter has been longer and colder than most from recent memory, but that hasn’t stopped me from getting outside.  Most of my recent excursions have been to check on the local deer herd and search for shed antlers.  A lot of folks wait until the snow thaws completely before they search for bone, but I like to get started early.  At this time of the year, cabin fever has really set in and I don’t need much of an excuse to get out of the house.

A well-used deer trail through a stand of spruce trees; Several deer walk single-file to a winter food source.

With snow still on the ground, I can easily see the areas where the deer have been spending most of their time.  In deep snow, deer tend to “yard up” and don’t do much moving.  In these situations, feeding areas and bedding areas can be one and the same.  Any trails you do find will likely look like deer super highways.

Winter bedding and feeding areas under the shelter of evergreens

A lot of the deer activity that I’ve observed this winter has been in stands of pine or hemlock and also in crab apple thickets.  Logically, the snow depth has been much less under the evergreens and allows the deer to walk and feed more easily.  Often, the hard crab apples that were bypassed for more palatable soft mass last fall, are now targeted by deer digging under the snow.  These are the areas where I’ve focused my initial searches for sheds.  After the snow melts completely, I’ll add corn fields and traditional bedding areas to my list of search zones.

The right side of a 2-year-old six point that survived last season

So far this year, my shed count has been a lonely number one.  I’ve put in some serious miles, but the late thaw has kept me from exploring some of my prime locations.  Still, I was very happy to find the 3-point antler that got me on the board for ‘09.  It was lying on top of the snow at a small creek crossing between a thicket and a corn field.  The brow tine was broken off, but I recognized the buck as a two-year-old that I had trail camera photos of last fall.  I was happy to see that the buck made it through the season and hope to see him again next fall.

My new Winner’s Choice string and cable set and SureLoc QC1 sight

This winter has also kept me hitting the indoor range at Archery World fairly consistently.  After a few weeks of shooting, it was obvious that my bow needed some routine maintenance.  A new string and a set of cables was the first order of business.  Having very good luck with them in the past, I opted for another set from Winner’s Choice.  After lubing the limb pockets and axles and installing a target peep, I had a lean, mean shooting machine!

The QC1 sight features very fine pins and interchangeable pin modules for both hunting and target shooting.

Since my bow was looking so good and I wanted to do my part to stimulate the economy, I just couldn’t resist buying a new sight.  I had my eye on several new ‘09 models, and the Sure-Loc QC1 really caught my attention.   Several features I really liked about this sight were very fine pins (0.010″) and an extension bar for target shooting as well as third axis leveling and micro adjustments for windage.  But the one option that sold me on this sight was the interchangeable pin modules that allow the shooter to quickly swap target and hunting pin sets.  This sight is definitely worth a look if you’re in the market for a new hunting or target sight.

I hope everyone is enjoying the winter season and spending some time in the field.  This time of year can be one of the best opportunities to pattern deer and scout for the upcoming archery season.  And if you’re lucky, you might even find the sheds of the buck that eluded you last fall.  Just think…he’ll be even bigger this year!  Good luck to everyone!

With winter’s somewhat early arrival, it seems like I’ve been waiting a long time for safe ice in these parts of the state.  Thankfully, last week’s deep freeze has provided plenty!  My good friend, Chad,  has been wanting to take his son Skylar out for his first ice fishing trip, and despite the strong winds and driving snow last weekend, we were all too eager to stay home.

Skylar and Chad were all smiles on their first ice fishing trip.

Not wanting to miss a second of the Steelers playoff game that night (and we were glad we didn’t… what a game!), we opted for a short trip to a small private lake near my house.  We came close to getting the truck stuck on the way there, but my stellar driving skills kept us from being stranded.  Once we arrived, the ice was 7-8” thick, with about 18” of snow on top.  Skylar had a hard time maneuvering in the deep snow, but wasn’t about to let that stop him as he excitedly stumbled onto the ice.  After a bit of shoveling, we had the holes drilled and the shanty in place.

Skylar did the catching, Chad did the unhooking.

With the cold temperatures and deep snow, we decided to leave the tip-ups in the bucket and stick to jigging.  After baiting the hooks and explaining the basic workings of a spring bobber pole, we were fishing.  The bite was slow at first, but as the afternoon wore on, the fish began to cooperate.  Skylar was the first to score and hauled a fat bluegill through the ice.  His patented “4 turns off the bottom” technique seemed to do the trick and he had a second gill on the floor before either Chad or I had a nibble.

Skylar and Chad proudly show off their first gills through the ice.

In between fish, Skylar kept us entertained with a variety of questions and comments, including, “Let’s put the waxworms in the fire” and “How come you guys aren’t catching any fish?”
Skylar’s constant taunting prompted us to concentrate a little harder, and we finally redeemed ourselves with a couple of bluegill of our own.  After all, we couldn’t go home until everyone had caught a fish.

Although it wasn’t one of my best days from a numbers standpoint, it was great to introduce some new ice fishermen to the sport.  Nothing beats the enthusiasm that youngsters have during their first experiences afield.  It even reminded me of my first ice fishing trip when I was seven years old.  Of course, that was back when I was still wide-eyed and every trip outside held the promise of a new adventure.   I guess some things never change.  Good luck to all of the hardwater anglers!

After a long and somewhat grueling deer season, I’ve been licking my wounds and taking stock of the situation.  In a lot of ways, I took a pretty good beating from the local herd.  I had a serious case of the flu and couldn’t hunt during most of rifle season, and the sprinting herds during muzzleloader season were too fast for my Hawken.  But, as I’ve come to accept after many tough seasons, that’s deer hunting in PA.  I took a doe with my bow, so my freezer isn’t completely empty, but I was never able to catch up with any of the big bucks I’d patterned in September.

Dale Sherman took this nice 8-point on the opening day of rifle season.

The famous droptine 10-point was killed by Jon Weaver during the second week of rifle season.

Jess Stewart dropped the heavy-bodied “Great 8” as he was chasing does on the opening day of rifle season.

Kickers seemed to be starving in the photo from the second week of rifle season, but thankfully, was harvested by a youth hunter on my neighbor’s property before the season’s close.

Unlike me, a lot of local hunters scored on some really nice bucks this year.  I hate to admit it, but several of them were deer that I’d been trying to keep tabs on myself.  I’m sure you’ll all recognize most of the photos from my archery season scouting.  I’d like to offer up congratulations to these folks on some great bucks!

Despite all of the nice bucks that were harvested, I believe several of the big boys made it through the hunting seasons and are still safely tucked away in their winter hideouts.  The lack of harvest reports from the local hunters in a few key areas gives me confidence that a few of these studs will be around to pursue next year.  And I’m guessing they’ll be absolute giants!

A couple of bucks that survived the hunting seasons.

One nice buck turned up on our trail cameras, but the majority of the post-season photos have been little guys and large groups of does.  With the heavy snow cover and lack of acorns, most of the deer I’ve seen recently have been feeding in corn fields.  They’re very skittish this time of year and rarely stand long enough to catch them on camera.

These bucks were on trails heading toward a large corn field.

Even though tag soup can be hard to swallow, I can’t really complain about my season.  I was able to spend quite a bit of time in the field and I gained a lot of knowledge that I didn’t have last year.  I passed on several legal bucks in archery and rifle season that I felt needed more time to grow, and I’m excited to see what they’ll be sporting for antlers next year.

It won’t be long before I’ll be able to start shed hunting and slip into some of the thickets I wouldn’t dare set foot in during the season.  Hopefully I’ll be able to find a few sets of antlers that prove some of the big boys are still on their feet.  I think I will.  I believe.  The way I look at it, tough seasons only make future success that much sweeter.

A lot of archers don’t do much shooting during the winter months.  Outside ranges can be bitter cold, and the indoor 20-yard “dot leagues” most clubs offer this time of year, although great for improving your shooting, can be very monotonous.  Indoor 3D target ranges are few and far between, but can provide an exciting way to keep the dust from collecting on your archery equipment.  As luck would have it, a brand new range just opened in northwest PA in December, and I couldn’t wait to round up a few friends and check it out.

The indoor range at Archery World

Archery World is a 16,000 square-foot facility in Venus, PA that houses 3D ranges set up for both hunter class and pro/open class distances.  Shooting at targets along the back wall will send your arrow well over 50 yards, and if you’re aiming from corner to corner, you’re looking at closer to 60 yards.  Since my friends and I still had our sights set for hunting arrows, we stuck to the shorter distances.  After a humbling first round of targets, I was glad we did.

Andy and Allen Hogue take aim down range.

Sunday was the final day of a two-day random draw tournament, and owner Denny Knight told us he had over 140 shooters on the range throughout the weekend.  Several archers were also shooting rounds for the winter leagues that are held at Archery World.  Denny told us he has shooting events planned for every weekend in February, and one of them will be an indoor/outdoor event for the diehards who don’t mind the cold weather.

A look behind the range

As expected, our group’s shooting was a little rusty, but no one sent any arrows into the dirt or the back wall.  However, it’s nice to know that some of the region’s top shooters were on hand to offer advice on technique and equipment if necessary.  We all had a great time and are planning a return visit soon.  I can’t think of a better way to get dialed in for those wary gobblers this spring.

AJ Johnson and I are set to kill some foam.

I’ve shot at a number of indoor archery ranges, and I can honestly say that Archery World surpasses them all.  The shooting platform, which can accommodate up to 100 shooters, is raised slightly above the target field and gives you a great view downrange.  The lighting is also excellent, as well as the permanent bow racks behind every shooting station.  The range layout is very challenging and includes trees and mixed terrain with hills and slopes that can partially conceal the target kill zones.  There also a nice lounge area behind the range with tables and chairs, shelves for bow cases, and a big screen TV playing episodes of the latest hunting shows.

For anyone who is looking to do some indoor 3D shooting in northwest PA, I’d strongly recommend a visit to Archery World.  They’re located 3 miles west of Fryburg along Route 157 and you can’t miss the giant sign out front.  For shooting schedules or more information, feel free to call Denny at (814) 354-7363 or visit their website at www.Route157ArcheryWorld.com

After we turned the clocks back, my archery hunts were basically limited to a couple of hours before work. One morning, I knew I wouldn’t have much time, so I opted to leave the video gear sitting at home since it usually takes an extra half hour to set up. It was the only hunt all season that I left it behind, and I knew it was mistake when I left the house.

I settled into my stand and waited for the sun to peek over the horizon. Shortly after, three shadows appeared in the thick brush below me. As the deer approached, I decided to pass on taking a shot because I figured there would be other opportunities to harvest a doe, and I really hated to shoot anything without capturing the video footage. The deer were very calm and they closed the distance to about ten yards. The largest doe continued under my stand as the other two nibbled on saplings.

The arrow as it landed below my tree; It passed through the doe and about six inches of soil.

As I watched her pass within a few yards of my tree, the demons began to torment me. They reminded me that there were only two weeks remaining in the season and I would likely never have such a good opportunity again. I resisted, remembering the faithful PSP members and how disappointed they would be. But the demons persisted, chanting about the doe being unaware of my presence and quartering away at five yards. They continued, heckling me about all of the hours I’d spent on stand without seeing a deer and the hunters who would love to have such an opportunity. I fought back, but the strain was more than I could bear.

A heavy blood trail led the way to the expired doe.

My bow came to full draw almost unconsciously and my sight pin settled behind the doe’s shoulder. In an instant the arrow was gone and so was the doe. She sprinted away, only to come to a sliding halt about 40 yards away. I looked down at the arrow standing at a steep angle in the forest floor and shook my head in disbelief. The demons had won.

The shot was good and took both lungs.

I would like to take this opportunity to apologize to everyone who may be following my journals and looking forward to video clips from my hunts. I am a weak man. I hope the photos will somehow lessen your disappointment and that, in time, you might be willing to forgive me. I promise to do better in the late season….the colder weather should keep the demons at bay.

The temperature swings weren’t the only ups and downs this archery season. After returning from the Aloha State, I spent some serious time in the treestand. And despite believing that hard work pays off, the early bird gets the worm, and good things come to those who wait…I’ve been constantly reminded that a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush! Yes, you guessed it, I had a very tough archery season and my buck tag is still attached to my license.

Several of my hunts were spent under cover of an umbrella as rain pounded from above.

I don’t want to sound like I’m complaining because it was a very memorable season and it wasn’t like I didn’t have an opportunity to harvest a legal buck. I made up my mind back in September that the bucks I’d seen while scouting were worth waiting for, and I wasn’t going to shoot the first decent buck I saw. However, I was also hoping to capture my hunts on video, so that added another challenge to the mix.

Snow squalls were also part of the fickle weather patterns this season.

This young buck had snapped his right beam completely off near his brow tine.

Here’s another young buck that I had in range but decided to let walk.

If memory serves me correctly, I had 7 or 8 legal bucks under me throughout the season. I only considered one a “shooter”, and as mature bucks often do, he gave me the slip. The only shot he presented was a quartering toward angle, and it was just too risky for my liking. After that, he stayed in the safety of the thick brush and calmly left me shaking in the tree. The close call earned him the nickname the “Heartbreak 8” and I saw him again about a week after our first encounter. Unfortunately, this time, it was late in the evening during one of my many spotting sessions.

The “Heartbreak 8” was one of the nice bucks that eluded me this season.

Kirk and AJ are some of the best cameramen a guy could ask for!

Although we saw a lot of deer during the season, it seemed like the big bucks were mostly nocturnal and only the smaller ones were chasing doe during daylight hours. I heard a lot of guys talking about the rut being in full swing at the end of October, but from my experience, it was just getting started when the season ended in mid-November. A thick-bodied buck we nicknamed “The Great 8” was one of the bucks we spent a lot of time hunting. Unfortunately, we only saw him once during daylight hours and he didn’t offer a shot.

The “Great 8” works a scrape near one of our stands; A video frame from a spotting trip

This young 12-point was on the prowl during the pre-rut; A nice 8-point in the early morning hours

Even though my tag is still on my back, it was an excellent season with a lot of great memories. I’m looking forward to spending some time hunting with my family during rifle season and seeing if any of the bucks we’ve been patterning end up on the ground. Good luck to everyone!